Talking with the Father Before Big Decisions    In a recent documentary, “The Memphis Mafia,” the nickname given to the close associates of Elvis Presley—friends and employees who served the singer—discussed the highs and lows of his career. At one point in the documentary, associates said that Presley, who was raised in a religious environment, talked frequently about the meaning of life and why he was here–profound questions for which there may be specific and general answers. A specific answer might be existential; that is, at a given moment, one’s purpose might be to spray water on a building to extinguish a fire—that is, to be a firefighter. A general answer to one’s purpose might be to worship God. Heavy thinking for this early in the morning 🙂
   Jesus’ statement to Simon and those who went looking for him early in the morning reminded me of that segment of the documentary. St. Mark said that the people found Jesus praying in a solitary place, and Simon told him everyone was looking for him: “And he said to them, ‘Let us go elsewhere to the neighboring market towns so that also there I may preach, for this I came.’” (1:38) In St. Luke’s parallel account, Jesus said, “For this I have been sent.” However one interprets these two statements, the point is that Jesus had a clear view of his mission, his purpose.
   On average, college undergraduates change their majors 2 to 3 times. It often takes men and women a while to grasp their raison d’être—reason for existence. According to one report, most adults change occupations 5 to 7 times during their working life. Sometimes career changes are agonizing, but often, skills developed in one occupation provide the foundation upon which to build another career.
   Apparently, Jesus said, “For this I came,” or “For this I have been sent,” after hours spent talking with the Father. Still an important conversation as one contemplates the next step. Directory